The Grand Hotel Golf Resort & Spa

THE RESORT EXPERIENCE, GRANDLY INSPIRED

Visiting the Gulf Coast of Alabama is like being let in on a secret – here, where Mobile Bay meets these southern shores lies an area of stunning natural beauty, a hidden jewel treasured for generations. On a perfect slice of 550 acres, overlooking the bay, The Grand Hotel has stood for over 170 years, welcoming guests to its white sand beaches, its inimitable style of Southern hospitality, and a timeless, unparalleled sense of home, history and place.

With a desire to uphold its rich legacy as the Queen of Southern resorts, owner PCH Hotels and Resorts embarked on a thoughtful plan to renovate and re-brand the resort, and give new life to this place as a remarkable destination and an enduring and iconic part of Alabama’s cultural gifts. Korn Design joined at the advent of this process, guiding the development of a spirited brand to underscore this remarkable transformation and steering the resort’s entry into the independent hotel space as part of the Autograph Collection by Marriott.

Though well-served by its traditional southern appeal for decades, Korn recognized an opportunity for the hotel to redefine its positon as a bastion of the “new South” – a place that brilliantly co-mingles past and present, both honoring its proud heritage and yet elevating it with a very contemporary statement of southern hospitality. Working closely with ownership, the operations team, architects Goodwyn, Mills and Cawood, and a stellar team assembled to chaperone the multimillion-dollar transformation of the resort, Korn brought excitement back to these shores, and a vibrant brand to all the corners of this project, renewing The Grand experience with a very independent signature throughout while maintaining its glorious character and charm. Infused with this fresh allure, The Grand Hotel Golf Resort & Spa debuts with reimagined rooms and reinvented dining experiences, freshly-cast meeting and event venues and thoughtfully curated amenities – re-staking its status as a glorious gem on Mobile Bay.

Carrying this essence on to the new logo, Korn celebrated the hotel’s “born on” date, 1847, adding it to a hand-drawn font that pulls from both classic scripts and current flourishes. Online, a clean crisp style paired with a contemporary UX to bring the brand’s appeal to a new responsive website, native app, digital sales tools and e-marketing. In complement, Korn introduced a highly evocative personality to a signature ad campaign and resort collateral, signing all with a spirited allure that reflects the re-branded destination.

Mindful of the enduring statement The Grand Hotel’s transformation would make, ownership advanced a comprehensive agenda for resort-wide upgrades, with Korn in lockstep to thoughtfully renew The Grand experience. As part of this, nine new restaurant and retail identities were developed, as well as signage + wayfinding, guest guides, key cards, and a host of in-room touchpoints. Korn’s role in stewarding brand integrity also extends to lifestyle photography and brand immersion training for staff, insuring the unforgettable quality that underpins The Grand Hotel Golf Resort & Spa’s renown as “The Queen of Southern Resorts” resounds. And that this gracious retreat on Alabama’s Gulf Coast returns as an iconic destination for generations to come.